I often look closely at the long strip of grass and weeds overlaying a nearby petroleum pipeline and everywhere I look there arre small black spiders, which I eventually identified as a type of wolf spider. Often cruising through the grass are many ichneumon wasps and in some seasons, tachinid flies. The spiders make a quick kill of their prey, but the ichneumon wasps and tachinid flies lay eggs that will hatch and eat their living prey. I ponder on how any caterpillar or other insect in the grass can possibly survive the intense predation, but know that there is a balance; because without an adequate number of prey insects, there would not be the host of predators. It is a balance I am only beginning to comprehend.

Great shots as usual Mark :)
Sitting here looking at these I thought to myself, “If I was an insect I would rather be a hunter/meat eater than one of the hunted”. Then I remembered finding a spider with it’s smaller spider catch the other day.
Nothing is safe in the food chain.